To commemorate World Philosophy Day, the Cultural Association New Acropolis in Belgrade organized “Days of Philosophy“, a series of events that took place between the 18th and 23rd of November.

This year’s activities came under the motto “Philosophy in Action” and began with a two-day promotion on the streets of Belgrade. “Food” for the soul was offered to passersby: they could choose a “dish” from the philosophers’ menu and get a suitable quote from one of the distinguished philosophers. Wise messages were an instigator for fellow citizens to converse with our volunteers, get acquainted with the association’s work, and be invited to participate in the rest of the activities.

 

The lecture “Is there only one truth or does everyone have their own?” took us on a journey of tangled interpersonal relationships where we all look for the same things, such as love and friendship, but somehow end up in disagreements and misunderstandings. Where is the truth that we seek? Focusing on differences will always lead us into conflicts; however, if we look inside ourselves, we will see that the same values live in all of us. Those values define us as human beings and help us give true meaning to the relationships we build.

In a workshop after the lecture, the participants were given an opportunity to find the answers to the questions that trouble young people among the sayings of great people from the past, such as Marcus Aurelius, Buddha, Confucius, and many others. Even though the results were not unexpected, the search was just as fun: in most cases, the quote that the participant selected by chance, provided direct solutions to the question asked, confirming that wisdom always contains some grain of truth that can guide us and help us resolve our troubles.

On the fourth and last day of the activities, the lecture “I know, I think, I want, but what is it that I do?” prompted us to ask ourselves: what do we truly know, what value do our thoughts hold. do our wishes free us or imprison us? We were thus reminded of most likely the hardest task that we have: establishing harmony between different parts of ourselves to finally be able to express with clarity the unity of what we know, think, and feel.